Obliviate
by starshaker
Summary: HermionexDraco 6th year. Hermione prides herself on remembering everything.But something's not right. Draco is acting strangely and Blaise acting more aggressive. Angst/romance.
1. Chapter 1

Hermione opened her sore eyes slowly. Her head was pounding and the lights only made it worse. Where was she? Squinting she made out her surroundings: the hospital wing… she couldn't remember what had happened even as she tried to remember her head felt worse.

Reaching over to the table where a glass of water stood she noticed a couple of cards which must have been from her friends; she would look at them later. As she placed the glass back down after taking a sip she knocked something onto the floor. Leaning down to pick it back up meant enduring several minutes of nausea and she shut her eyes and willed it to pass.

Recovering she realised that what she was she holding was a small lilac origami lily. She couldn't imagine Ron or Harry spending the time to fold it into shape. Then there was also a smell, a vaguely familiar scent. There was some sort of faint spell coming off it. Before she could identify it Madame Pomfrey rounded the corner of the screen with a potion and glass on a tray.

"Nice to see you're awake Miss Granger, just missed your friends I'm afraid I told them to go and get some sleep, they've hardly left your bedside"

"I'm sorry but Madame Pomfrey, but what happened? I can't remember a thing,"

"No worries Miss Granger, that'll be the healing, you took a nasty knock to the head. Courtesy of Quidditch I believe. I tell you if we didn't have that game in the wizarding world, I'm sure half the medi-witches wouldn't have their jobs,"

Hermione thought about this as Madame Pomfrey continued to voice her disgust at the number of casualties from such a game. Harry had a Quidditch match against Slytherin on … Friday? Yes it must be. Ron and Harry hadn't stopped talking about it for the last fortnight. But that was tomorrow? Today?

"And of course I'm just expected to …."

"What day is it Madame Pomfrey?" Hermione interrupted.

"Sunday, my dear, you've been out cold for two days, but one more dash of this potion and in the morning your should be fine to go back to our lessons,"

"Oh, thank you," she replied calmly. Two days! She'd missed two days! Why couldn't she remember? Stupid potion amnesia.

"Now here dear you take this and you'll be all back to normal after a good night's sleep" She said, forcing a spoon of oddly moving purple liquid towards Hermione's face. Hermione shut her eyes and swallowed feeling the liquid slime down her throat though she was glad that this particular potion left no after taste. The poly juice potion memories still came back to her every time she had to swallow a potion, self made or not.

Madame Pomfrey made her leant forward while she readjusted the pillows and told her to "Sleep well."

She leant her head down and once again noticed the lily folded on her bedside table. Who could have made it? She thought sleepily. But she could not think before the potion sent her into a deep sleep.

Hermione made her way to the prefect's bathroom on the 5th floor after one of her longest days this term. Double potions had sealed her doom; after only ten minutes of Professor Snape's taunts she was fed up and her headache had returned.

Her friends were happy to see her, but she struggled to be as enthusiastic as she couldn't get a word in to ask what had actually happened to her, since she still couldn't remember, and all Ron and Harry seemed to want to talk about was the transfiguration essay, due in that afternoon. Needless to say she had sat with them all through lunch going over the work, then spending her free lesson spellchecking it and repositioning the structure into something coherent. Then after a rather distracted transfiguration lesson came divination.

To Hermione, a frankly useless unstructured subject and as McGonagall once told her "an imprecise branch of magic." A description which only led her to dislike the subject more, as her professor appeared to be continually trying to convince herself and everyone else, of its seriousness.

By the time Hermione had eaten dinner and returned to the common room, she was exhausted to say the least. Still, with at least four hours before she'd be able to even ask for a little hush in her dorm, she escaped claiming she had to go and talk to Madame Pomfrey again. She doubted anyone actually listened.

As a prefect she was allowed to be out of the common room all hours, so she had no worries about being found. She had gone up to the hospital wing to ask Madame Pomfrey why she still couldn't remember the day of the Quidditch match, but she to was tired, simply telling Hermione that she was sure she'd remember in another day or so, or at most a week. Also, that she was sure that nothing important happened, otherwise her other friends would have told her.

As she now approached the door of the prefect bathroom, she hoped inside that moaning myrtle had decided to stay in her own bathroom. Hermione felt sorry for her, but if she still had any substance, Hermione would have given her a good slap and told her to grow up a long time ago.

Whispering the password to the door "Pickwick papers" she entered and turned on her 3 favourite bubble baths; they swirled in pastel colours of blue, pink and yellow around the huge tub and filled in minutes as she undressed.

Hermione thought of how her dad had always used to take her swimming when she was getting stressed and with this an impulse came to her. She stood up, silencio-ed the room so no-one would hear her. Then, dropping her wand with her clothes took a running jump into the pool

"CANNONBALL!"

After a long soak she made her way back up to her room. Opening the curtains on her bed, she saw that her cards had been sent up to her room, and were lying on the bed The lily resting on the top. She immediately relocated it to the set of drawers next to her bed before returning to the cards.

There were only three: one from Ginny, one from Harry and Ron. The third card had a short message in it:

_Yes, I meant every word._

_I'm truly sorry, and I hope one day you can forgive me _

_Hermione Granger you have made me a better person I swear you have_

_Thank you and I hope you're feeling better soon_

ﺍx

She reread the note several times before she stashed it in her trunk when she heard her roommates coming up the stairs. She lay back and drew her curtains to avoid their inane prattle, and cast the silencing spell again. All she could think of was that message. Who on earth could have sent it? Would it be the same person as the flower? It would have to be, surely? She couldn't have two different people sending her anonymous gifts, so it had to be the same person. "Come on stupid potion wear off! I need to remember who this is!" she sighed. She thought of what Madame Pomfrey had said … "nothing important happened, my arse!"

Next morning Hermione woke at six as usual, well before her roommates, showered, packed her things, and sat herself down in the Gryffindor common room with Hogwarts: A History. Her she waited, as usual, for her friends to wake up so they could all go down to breakfast together.

She couldn't concentrate. Ideas of who could have given her the flower and the card were still racing through her mind. Then a thought came to her and she raced back upstairs to grab the flower from her drawer. It had closed up its innermost petals just as a flower would over night. Hermione smiled, closed the drawer and returned to her spot in the common room.

The boys were up late so Hermione walked down to breakfast with Ginny.

"Did you make that Mione?"

"I found it on my table in the hospital when I woke up, I was going to ask if you made it but clearly not, and I can't imagine Harry or Ron making it" she didn't want to mention to Ginny the card but she might be able to help figure out the sender.

"True, but they were sat by your side for almost the whole weekend, they must know, or at least be able to tell you when it turned up, have you asked them?"

"They were a little preoccupied with their homework as usual, and the only chance I got to talk to them was replying to a, 'Hermione would you check this for me'"

"Tell you what, if I steal Ron's plate when he comes down to breakfast, he'll have to answer you before he gets it back

"Rather you getting in between Ron and his food, than me Ginny,"

"Always a pleasure to annoy my dear brothers,"

"What would I do without you Gin," Hermione said and both girls started laughing as they entered the great hall.

Needless to say Ron was not at all pleased to have his breakfast postponed just because he didn't know about any bloody flower!" Harry was a little more helpful.

"I don't remember seeing it Hermione. There were just two cards on the table right up until when we left I'm sure. Sunday evening when Madame Pomfrey told us to leave there wasn't any flower,"

"And no-one else was in the hospital wing?"

"There were two other beds being occupied and both had the screens across so I don't think they count,"

"Harry," she said quietly "what happened on Friday? Ever since Madame Pomfrey gave me that potion, I haven't been able to remember anything for that day at all. She says it'll take at most a week, but its horrible feeling. Like I don't even know what I did" she sighed. "I feel like I'm like someone with dementia, running on autopilot, but not knowing what I've done," Looking to the floor to avoid both his, Ron's, and Ginny's faces.

Harry put his hand over hers on the bench and squeezed it gently.

"Its just a potion, and it'll wear off, and you'll figure out who the flower's from, because there are only so many people it can be, and if not it won't matter because it's just a paper flower." He moved his hand to her shoulder "and for the brightest witch of our age, you sure do pick the wrong things to worry about." she looked up at him and he smiled back "Take Ron. The only thing he worries about is his food!"

"Oi! I heard that!" and with that she had to smile.

Hermione walked into her arithmancy class, feeling a lot happier since talking to Harry. This happiness was short lived as she found herself in the correct classroom but no-one else present. The bell had gone a good five or ten minutes ago and there were another two people in the class which were always on time just as she was. She walked towards professor Vector's desk to look for a clue as to whether the lesson was cancelled or any work set. Nothing.

"Ah Granger," an all to familiar voice sneered behind her, "You taking the lesson today,"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Malfoy, but no," she said as she moved over to her desk: the other side of the room to his.

"Not a vote of confidence, no, I was just wondering if I'd need to get a half-blood translator; you muggle-borns do tend to slur your words,"

Hermione held her breath and counted to ten before continuing.

"I speak perfectly clearly Malfoy, especially when I'm saying what an arrogant conceited git you are!" the counting clearly hadn't helped "Did you hear that clearly Malfoy? Or do I need to write it down in big capital letters for you!" she stood up and glared at him waiting for his smart reply. He stood up himself though there was not the hate in his expression there usually was.

Hermione took a single step back as he approached her, her hand firmly around her wand at her side a dozen spells coming to mind. He was about a metre away when he spoke, still decreasing the distance between them.

"Now Granger …"

Professor McGonagall burst into the room and both students turned to look at her. Hermione wondered why she seemed to notice nothing odd in the was two people well known to infinitely dislike each other were stood so close as if having a perfectly innocent chat.

"Oh, haven't you two got the message? No, clearly not I suppose. Professor Vector has had to cancel his lesson at short notice; I believe it has something to do with the Weasley's products. I'm sure however that if you just continue reading from where you were the previous lesson, when the professor returns you will catch up swiftly. Now out, both of you, so I can lock this room up for the day," as she said this she turned to magic a sign on the door saying " all lessons cancelled" and before she'd turned back there was only one person left in the room. Hermione was out of the door with her books before Malfoy had even reached his desk.

She went straight to the library, a table at the furthest back so she wouldn't be interrupted, opened her arithmancy textbooks and charts and resumed where she had left off ; trying desperately not to be affected by the little episode with Malfoy. As she read she absent mindedly reached down into her robe's pocket and brought out the lily, thinking it must have been squashed in her pocket she looked down at it to find there was a note written in gold down the side of it.

_Meet me at the astronomy tower at 11 tonight_

_X_

Hermione sat there disliking the sense of confusion she had felt very often over the last couple of days. Still, she had astronomy tonight anyway, it started at half eleven so Harry and Ron would be there too. She could leave the common room just before them saying she wanted to do or check something then met them up there, or maybe they could come with her. She'd definitely feel safer, and they could stay under the invisibility cloak. Yes, she'd ask them later to come with her. She replaced the flower in her pocket and returned to her work.

It was lunchtime when Ginny came over to ask if she'd found out anything else about the lily.

"No Gin, haven't even thought about it really, unless the person comes up and tells me they sent it, which isn't going to happen, then it's just going to be a very nice gift,"

Ginny paused, "Mione, could I look at it?"

"Erm, I haven't got it with me,"

"I thought you just had it in your pocket?"

"Oh right, yeah," she took it out of her pocket, laying down it on the table in front of them both, the writing placed on the bottom side " I keep worrying I'll squash it or something, it's so pretty, I wouldn't want to ruin it in, it's already wearing out round the stem."

"Then fix it, a simple repar-"she said brandishing her wand

"No don't!" Hermione shouted you a bit too loud and several people looked round. Hermione gathered it up and put it back in one of her pockets. "It might react badly; I'm just going to put it back in my dorm,"

"It's only a bit of paper Mione, but fine whatever," and with that Ginny left to her other friends further down the table.

Hermione gathered up her things and left telling Harry and Ron she'd see them in Herbology.

Hermione never even made it to the fourth floor, let alone the Gryffindor common room, she stopped at the library zigzagged her way through to a window seat overlooking the lake and grounds. She leant her head on the cold window and shut her eyes for a moment.

A hand rested gently on her arm, she opened her eyes but before she had time to turn to see the person stood next to her…

"What did Weaslette want?" Hermione panicked and whacked Malfoy's hand away from her arm

"GET OFF ME!"

"But, but Hermione…" he looked confused and nervous, she'd never seen him like this and she didn't want to.

"Get away from me,"

"But, you came here, "he stuttered. "HERE!" shouting and gesturing to the window.

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about Malfoy, but I suggest you get out before I curse you out."

He bowed his head as he walked past her and Hermione thought she heard him say something but wasn't sure. She turn back to the window to gather her things, not seeing that he'd stopped before the end of the bookcase.

"That's pretty heartless Granger, and that's coming from a Slytherin," Hermione turned to see the last of his robes disappearing around the corner.

"Merlin, it's not my day today," at which point the bell for afternoon classes went and she made her way down to the greenhouses.

It was during Herbology that Hermione found a moment to talk to Harry and Ron about the note.

"Harry I'm going to go and meet whoever this is but it would mean a lot to me to have you and Ron with me too: Under the invisibility cloak of course, or if you could just lend me the marauder's map so I could see who it is. It's only half an hour before our class up there so I can just say I wanted to get up there early if anyone sees me."

Harry had sat listening to what she had to say while Ron struggled behind him to plant seeds that kept jumping back out of the pots of soil.

"Where else would we be, if not right by your side Mione? Of Course. We'll be there from quarter to, then you can arrive on time for your appointment, and we'll have figured out this problem in no time at all, right Ron?"

"Right, now could one of you show me how I'm meant to get this stupid seed to stay in the pot, before it takes my eye out?"

"Sure," she cast the freezing spell over the flat palm sized seed which struggled until the soil was piled on top of it and according to Professor Sprout "tricked it into thinking it could fall asleep without being attacked"

That evening couldn't come soon enough, and at half past ten Ron and Harry left under cover of the invisibility cloak. Fifteen minutes later Hermione left through the portrait hole, and followed what would have been the boy's path up to the astronomy tower.

As she neared the top she heard voices, and desperately hoped that Harry and Ron hadn't been caught. A few more steps and she could hear that it wasn't their voices that she could hear. Pausing on the steps she listened, trying to identify what the voices were saying,

"You can't do this, you know the consequences,"

"It's too late I told her and it's none of your business anyway,"

"You were chosen; you can't throw it all away. He'll kill you,"

"There's always someone going to kill me or worse no matter what I do! And again I'll repeat my self: it's none of your business,"

"You're making a mistake Draco,"

Then Hermione heard footsteps coming down the stairs. TOWARDS HER! She had no-where to go she stepped back against the wall in the shadows, but there was no chance they would hide her, and saw the start of a shadow coming around the pillar. Then she was behind a cloak; _the_ cloak, and Ron was next to her, his finger on his lips an inch or so above her and Harry next to him holding the cloak in place.

Blaise Zambini stormed past them on the staircase narrowly missing Ron's back and in that moment Ron stepped closer pressing against Hermione to avoid him. In the darkness she blushed, but breathed a sigh of relief as Blaise's light disappeared down the stairwell.

"Bloody hell that was close. You okay?" Ron whispered to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but I've still got a meeting up there. Possibly with Malfoy it sounds like," she said looking apprehensively up the stairs

"If that slimy git even touches you…" Ron started, his voice getting louder. Hermione was glad when Harry nudged him in the side.

"We'll be in the shadows down the stairs a bit, under the cloak, watching for anyone else coming on the map and…" he said looking at Ron "we'll only do anything if you start to lose control"

"Thanks," she hugged them both then left the security of the cloak and climbed the last few steps to the platform at the top. Looking around she saw no-one. She walked to the edge by the barrier, and looked down feeling ill as she imagined a fall from such a height.

"I've contemplated it myself," Malfoy said from behind her. She didn't turn but looked to the horizon, the shadowed outline of the mountains.

"And what stopped you?"

"There were some things I didn't want to miss"

"Why…" she

"No, my question." then turned to find him stood right behind her, she backed away, "Why after asking me to meet you do you then throw a tantrum at me and deny asking me to meet you after everything you said only last Friday?

"I didn't speak to you, how could I have asked you to meet me? And what did I say on Friday?"

"How can you say that? You, you said..."

"I CAN'T RMEMBER I THING ABOUT WHAT I DID OR SAID ON FRIDAY DRACO! Now I don't know why you taken to personally harassing me more than you usually do but if you could explain I really appreciate it,"

"What do you mean you don't remember a thing? Everything I told you…"

"I…" noises of girlish chatter came floating up the staircase and they both turned to the door " I think you should go Malfoy, and forget about whatever you thought happened on Friday because I can't remember a thing. And. I.** Have.** Tried." without another word he turned and left down the back staircase, which led only down to the platform below, but allowed him to leave without bumping into the likes of Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown who seemed to be laughing hysterically at Ron, who was looking quite sheepish . Harry followed them all in last, and the both of them made their way over to Hermione and began setting up.

"What happened Mione? After you left, Blaise came along again; he must have wondered where Malfoy had gotten to or something. I had to convince Ron in his role of prefect to tell him to go back to his dorm or be reported." Harry laughed

"It was awful. I thought he was going to slog me one," Ron joined in.

"I'm sure you were very brave Ronald" Hermione said sarcastically

"Gee thanks" he glared playfuly at her "Maybe you'd have had to be bringing _me_ flowers in a hospital bed!"

Hermione was very grateful to have her first lesson off the next day, but upon realising she had another arithmancy lesson next soon dampened her spirits. Taking an apple from the fruit bowl in the common room, she joined Harry and Ron going to see Dobby in the kitchens for second breakfast, and "a bit of privacy" Ron added. Despite his bottomless stomach he now appeared very interested. After hearing what Hermione told them they then tried to compose a timeline for what happened on Friday:

Breakfast, Herbology, potions, double charms and muggle studies which the boys missed when they then left to get changed ready and play Quidditch. Ron said he saw Hermione at the start of the game, in the Gryffindor stands, and Harry said she was still there ten minutes later. None of this information really helped solve Hermione's confusion over Malfoy. The next they knew, at the celebration after-party one of the 3rd years came to them with a message, that she was in the hospital wing.

"Did Madame Pomfrey say what had happened?"

"What she didn't tell you?" Harry looked at her questioningly

"She said Quidditch injury,"

"Well I suppose it could have been," Ron said shrugging.

"What did she tell you?"

"She said you were brought up to the hospital wing after getting a knock to the head at about the same time as the match finished so I can see how she would assume it was Quidditch? But there weren't any stray bludgers, so unless someone hit you I can't see how it would have been,"

"Hermione," Harry said cautiously, "you don't think someone could have spelled you do you? There are spells that knock you out cold, or a spell might have gone wrong and blanked your memory. It might not be the potion Madame Pomfrey gave you. If Malfoy thinks something happened maybe he did something?"

"I don't think it was Malfoy who would have blanked my memory, he seemed genuinely distressed. If he had cast a spell on me, don't you think _he_ would remember it himself," the boys sat and considered this; Ron reaching for another piece of toast. Then he stopped himself, hand hovering above the rack

"What about Blaise,"

"Huh?" harry said, bemused

"Blaise seems pretty intense about something to do with Malfoy," Ron continued, "You heard what he as saying about Malfoy being chosen and the consequences," he leant back, looking quite pleased with himself.

"You might have it there Ron," Harry said, optimistically looking to Hermione for approval, but Hermione's eyes were glassy and glazed over.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione couldn't help but notice how distressed Draco was acting since their… well she couldn't really call it talking. Hermione caught herself too many times, glancing over to where the slytherin was sat; either in the Great Hall or in class which they shared. When she brought up the subject with Harry about how she thought Draco was acting strangely: Ignoring his friends, falling behind his second place in classes etc. He simply told her "Well that's just like him though, thinks he's better than everyone," It was always more difficult if Ron was nearby; he was more interested in why it was suddenly "Draco," and not "Malfoy"

The flower remained in her bedside drawer, and each morning and evening she studied it for further gold messages. She was however oblivious to the fact she was sending messages, in the opposite direction.

Draco read each message what felt like a hundred times over, yearning to reply, but knowing he never should have exposed himself to begin with. It put his plan and family at risk. Everything Hermione couldn't remember saying to him played over and over in his head, taunting him. As well as every time she went to _that _place in the library, the parchment in his pocket glowed with soft warmth.

-Why can't I remember?

-What's wrong with Draco?

-Did Draco give me this?

-I wish I knew a spell to fix this.

-Does a spell even exist to fix this?

-I wish I had someone to talk to.

The latest message resonated deeply with Draco; it was all he wanted too. The next time the parchment in his pocket warmed up to alert him to where she was he was there before he realised where his feet were taking him

She was sat in the indo seat, eyes shut, peaceful; just as she was all those weeks ago when she had so violently rejected him. He stared at the floor as he leant on the bookcase. All he felt right now was emptiness by now; he was tired from lack of sleep, nervous and so lonely; if only she would listen.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," His eyes snapped up when he heard her voice; it sounded as sad as he felt. He couldn't speak, just stood there dumbly until she spoke again.

"Draco, she said, now looking to the floor, nervous herself, "Could you tell me anything that happened on that day I can't remember?" He still remained silent, an internal battle raging; duty verses an emotional need to tell her everything.

"Please," she sounded as if she was begging for him to return her memories, but it was him who had taken them. He took a few slow tentative steps towards her and she didn't back away; just looked at him.

"You look so lost," she told him after a minute or two, "you want to tell me, otherwise you would have left already," She reached out to him which caught him completely unaware, causing him to back up quickly, almost knocking over a precariously balanced stack of books. To avoid knocking them he was forced back towards her outstretched arm.

His resolve broke the moment her hand came into contact with his bare are. A moment later he was hugging her so tightly he never wanted to let go. Initially she was startled but soon wrapped her arms around his thin muscular frame

Her fingers traced patterns through his thin shirt and his back muscles rippled as he shivered from the gesture. The position was uncomfortable for both of them but neither wanted to let go in fear of losing their chance of regaining something lost. Draco buried his head in Hermione's neck and hair, breathing deeply

"Draco, please. Just talk to me," He began to pull back and the air felt very cold all around them. "Anything, please." Hermione said, her hand still lingering, cupping his forearm.

"I can read what you're thinking when you hold that flower," He said hurriedly.

"So it was you who gave it to me," She said shyly, shifting to stand up next to him. He met her eyes and like a fearful animal, bolted.

He didn't stop for her calls, student's complaints as he shoved past or even when Slughorn tried to corner him to discuss his falling grades. He didn't slow down until he was inside the Slytherin common room, then bypassing Blaise and Pansy he reached his dorm, shut the curtains on his be and curled up as small as he could. The parchment in his pocket continued to emit calming warmth for quite a while. This made Draco feel guilty about leaving her and running away from her when all she wanted were answers.

Contrary to popular belief, Draco Malfoy did feel guilt and remorse. He was just very opposed to showing weakness in public; and right now Hermione Granger was a liability.

Draco dreaded how Blaise would react if he found out about this encounter. Blaise hadn't admitted altering Hermione's memory, but that didn't mean he wasn't top of Draco's list of possible suspects.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hermione's missing memory scene is currently being written, published under * Before it's all Forgotten* and can be found on my user page. Since I'd prefer to write this story primarily from Hermione's POV I thought I'd best publish that scene so it all makes a little more sense**

Hermione sat cross-legged, glaring at the paper flower in front of her. She knew she wanted to talk to Draco, and since he had been ignoring her in classes again, and if he had been telling the truth, this was her only option

But Hermione was unsure; scared that if she picked up that flower and sent a stupid thoughtless message, he'd only be secured in his objective of avoiding her further.

She kept returning to_ their _place in the library, hoping he would come back; he didn't.

When they met in corridors he hurried past, and for shared classes like arithmancy, he arrived late, and left before anyone else stood from their seats.

Finally plucking up the courage to contact him she grabbed for the flower, thought "Please talk to me, let me help," and then threw the flower away to the bed before any other thoughts could feed through. It landed message side up and she saw in silver lettering before it faded away into the paper "I wish you would talk to me, we could help each other. Be friends?" Hermione groaned and fell back on to her pillows.

Draco had confined himself to his bedroom so no-one would disturb him. He had an old manual opened in front of him, two blank pieces of parchment and his quill in hand. Or at least both pieces of parchment were supposed to be blank. When Draco raised his eyes from the page, Hermione's message was inked out on the page. He'd taken to placing the page next to whatever he was studying more out of habit that hope or expectation.

Draco couldn't help but smile faintly at the wording; the wording was so familiar to the memory that played over in his head so often. He owed her some comfort for everything she'd done for him, even if she couldn't remember. He quickly wrote a message back on the parchment.

_The whole school believes us to be enemies Granger. If I talk to you they'll think I have you under a spell. –DM_

The reply returned quickly:

_So you will talk to me through this flower… you won't ignore me any longer? HG_

_I could never ignore you Granger. You have a habit of being perpetually in the way -DM_

_Well you've done a great deal of acknowledging me over the last few weeks –HG_

_It's for your own safety. I don't want you hurt for your own Gryffindor stupidity –DM_

_Do you know why I can't remember? –HG_

_A simple Obliviate charm I imagine. You were in the hospital because you collapsed so I assume the symptoms fit –DM_

_Do you know what I can't remember? –HG_

_Perhaps-DM_

_I'd like to know-HG_

_You wouldn't. You'd be repulsed.-DM_

_Tell me. –HG_

_And if it's so horrific I'll Obliviate myself-HG_

_Which, for all you know, got you in this position in the first place-DM?_

_I would have left myself a note, -HG_

_Maybe you just haven't found the note –DM_

_Or my note was the flower, leading me back to you –HG_

_I returned that flower to you when I found it at the Quidditch pitch. I had only just given it to you-DM_

_But why did you give it to me?-HG_

_So we could talk-DM_

_Why would you want to talk to me?-HG_

_It was the reverse, in fact-DM_

The paper didn't return a message from Hermione.

_I can hear you thinking from here,-DM_

_You won't tell me anything I want to know-HG_

_I've answered all of your questions-DM_

_Are you going to dinner?-HG_

_I have work to finish, I'll get something from the kitchens later-DM_

_Will you talk to me again soon?-HG_

_Perhaps –DM_

_Thank you Draco-HG_

_It's my pleasure Hermione -DM_


End file.
